Hood style dishwasher

ABSTRACT

A hood style dishwasher having a tank and upstanding manifolds united thereto, whereby the tank can be easily secured in place relative to a countertop or the like and rinse or wash water connections made with the manifolds and whereby telescoping curved hoods pivoted together on bearings in turn can be supported on the upstanding manifolds without additional fabrication of the countertop other than for mounting the tank itself. In restaurants, hospitals, or like institutions it is common to have a sheet metal specialist fabricate a counter for the kitchen area and to mount in an opening in this counter a dishwasher manufactured at a separate location. The installation obviously has to be reliable and according to all safety and sanitation codes. In prior commercial hood style dishwashers, the tank would be mounted from the underside of the counter in line under the counter opening and would be completely sealed to the counter. The telescoping inner and outer hoods each curved over approximately 90* and adapted to cover the tank would then be typically mounted on bearings secured to the topside of the counter. The hoods can be individually opened to provide loading and unloading access of racks from either side of the dishwasher.

[22] Filed:

United States Patent [191 Haas 1111 3,720,215 lMalch 13, 1973 [73] Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin,

Nov. 4, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 195,628

[75] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Robert L. Bleutge AttorneyCharles F. Lind 57 ABSTRACT A hood style dishwasher having a tank and upstanding manifolds united thereto, whereby the tank can be easily secured in place relative to a countertop or the like and rinse or wash water connections made with the manifolds and whereby telescoping curved hoods pivoted together on bearings in turn can be supported on the upstanding manifolds without additional fabrication of the countertop other than for mounting the tank itself.

In restaurants, hospitals, or like institutions it is com mon to have a sheet metal specialist fabricate a counter for the kitchen area and to mount in an opening in this counter a dishwasher manufactured at a separate location. The installation obviously has to be reliable and according to all safety and sanitation codes. ln prior commercial hood style dishwashers, the tank would be mounted from the underside of the counter in line under the counter opening and would be completely sealed to the counter. The telescoping inner and outer hoods each curved over approximately 90 and adapted to cover the tank would then be typically mounted on bearings secured to the topside of the counter. The hoods can be: individually opened to provide loading and unloading access of racks from either side of the dishwasher.

gElaimgzb r wing ri dr s HGOD STYLE DISHWASHER This invention relates to a hood style dishwasher of the type noted where the hoods are pivoted for rotation about opposed bearings located above the countertop or other track support for the wash racks.

A general object of this invention is to provide a hood style dishwasher which can be easily and reliably installed relative to a countertop, stand or the like either at the factory of origin or in the field. A specific object of this invention is to provide a hood style dishwasher having a tank adapted to be mounted from the underside of a countertop, stand or the like, and also having spaced upstanding wash and rinse water risers formed integrally with the tank that project upwardly therefrom to well above the countertop or stand and further that provide bearing supports for the telescoping inner and outer hoods.

These and other objects of this invention will be more fully appreciated and understood after reviewing the following specification, the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of the subject hood style dishwasher in a typical counter mounting arrangement;

FIG. 2 is an elevational sectional view as seen generally from line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view of the left side hood mounting structure shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view as seen generally from line 4-4 in FIG 1, except with the hood mount ing details not shown.

The dishwasher illustrated has an upwardly open tank 12 mounted in a counter 13, and a pair of rack support tracks 14 are supported by and over the tank approximately in line with the counter top. Curved inner and outer telescoping hoods 18 and 20 are mounted to rotate about bearings 16 transverse to and above the tracks 14, and each extends only slightly over approximately 90 to overlap at the center to close the tank against splashing liquids while yet permitting either to be opened to allow the rack (not shown) to he slid onto the tracks 14 from either side of the washer.

In most dishwashers, as noted herein, the wash tank 12 is formed as a unitary welded or drawn assembly having a cross section just about the same size as the opening in the counter 13. The top of the tank is provided with a flange 22 and the counter has a downturned flange 24 adapted to telescope inside the tank. Typically studs 26 welded on the underside of the counter extend through flange openings so that the tank can be properly located from the underside of the counter and nuts threaded on the studs can draw the tank snug. Sealing compound, gaskets or the like provide a watertight connection between the tank and the counterand there are no exposed external grooves or joints on the counter.

The particular invention disclosed herein permits the entire dishwasher including the mounting of the hoods to be performed in the manner noted and with no additional prior readying fabrication of the tank or counter. Risers 30 and 32 are formed integrally with the tank frame and fit through the counter opening and extend above the counter well above the hood bearings 16. The bearings 16 are supported on the risers 30 and 32, and since the risers are integral with the tank, are always accurately located relative to the counter. Also,

with the exception of possibly the studs being welded to the counter and openings being drilled in the tank flange, it is almost as easy to install the tank and hoods in the field as it would be to install the tank and hoods at the dishwashing manufacturers site.

Specifically, a boss 36 is formed on each riser on the exterior side thereof and this forms the support for a shouldered hood bearing piece 38. Openings in each bearing piece are provided for bolts 40 which thread into taps on the boss 36. Each hood has an opening that fits over a cylindrical surface 42 on the bearing piece and is rotatably supported thereon, and a U-spring 44 is snapped in place in a groove on the bearing piece to hold the hoods relative to the piece against the shoulder 45. This allows the complete removal of the hoods including the bearing pieces 38 from the risers simply by removing the bolts and wedging the hood bearings apart to clear the bosses 36.

Located under the hoods 18 and 20 and over the tank 12 are means for spraying both a washing liquid and a rinsing liquid onto and over the dishes or articles to be washed. Typically in dishwashers of this type, the wash water is collected in tank sump 46, heated by means not shown, and recirculated by pump 48 with a nominal overflow being provided through pipe 50 to carry away the floating washed off particles. The rinse and makeup water typically is fresh and is directly off available municipal water systems to fitting 52 for flow through a vacuum breaker device 54 to the fitting 56. The vacuum breaker device is necessary according to some sanitation codes to preclude suction of tank liquid into the fresh water line.

It is noted that each riser is hollow and communicates at its lower end through a flanged connection to the source of fluid associated therewith, the riser 30 being for the wash water and the riser 32 being for the rinse water. Thus, the wash riser connects with the outlet flange 58 from the pump 48, and the rinse n'ser 60 connects to a special flanged pipe and tee 62. One leg 64 of the tee 62 is connected through tee 66 to the inlet fitting 56 while the other leg is closed by a plug thermostat 68.

Manifolds 72 and 74 are secured to the wash riser 30 and opposing frames 76 and 78 are secured to the rinse riser 32. Wash tubes 80 (see FIG. 4) are removably supported between these manifolds and frames, one tube end being received in a dischargeopening in the manifold to communicate the wash liquid to the tube and the opposite tube end being supported and closed by a plug 82 that is spring biased from the frame. The lower wash tubes 80 are extended across the tank in underlying relation to the tracks 14to allow rack movement without interference while the upper tubes are near the top of the hoods. By a shoulder and key arrangement (not shown) between the tube and manifold, the tube nozzles are oriented to the desired wash spray pattern. An upper rinse tube 86 communicates with the rinse riser 32 and is closed at its opposite end and supported by bracket 88 fromthe wash riser. Rotating rinse distributor tube 90 having upward inclined discharge nozzlesis supported in bearing 92 and is connected to the inletfrom the tee 66 forthe lower rinse outlet.

It is thus noted that the construction disclosed requires no separate in the field or on the site fabrication of hood mounting brackets or the like to the dishwasher or to the counter so that such work and any chance for misalignment resulting therefrom are eliminated. Moreover, the fresh water and wash water connections are made with conventional threaded or flanged connections, for easy assembly or disassembly for repair if such is needed, and once made automatically are made directly to the actual risers and manifolds. This allows that no secondary or special water type connections are required under the counter other than the basic fresh water inlet and waste return. The standard components for the inlet water, such as strainers, pressure takeoff taps, and solenoid on-off valves are not shown, but the same would be located upstream of the fitting 52, and likewise electrical controls for the wash or rinse operating cycles would be conventional and are not related to the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a support frame having an opening, a dishwasher having an upwardly open tank of size and shape corresponding to the frame opening, means to connect the tank to the support frame with the tank exposed through the opening, opposed risers secured integrally with the tank and extending upwardly above the support frame through the opening, inner and outer hoods, means pivotally connecting the hoods to the risers for rotation about an axis located above the support frame, and the risers being hollow and means including the risers for discharging wash and rinse liquids under the hoods and into the tank.

2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the hood connecting means includes bearings pivoted to the hoods and means securing the hoods relative to the bearings, and means for removably securing the bearings to the risers.

3. A combination according to claim 1, including connection means formed on the tank annularly of each riser, wash and rinse liquid sources, and means including a flanged connection communicating the separate liquid source with the respective riser at the connection means.

4. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the wash liquid source includes a sump formed in the tank, a pump having its inlet communicated with the sump, and the pump having its outlet provided with the flanged connection communicating with the wash riser.

5. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the hood connecting means includes bearings pivoted to the hood and means securing the hoods relative to the bearings, and means for removably securing the bearings to the risers.

6. A combination according to claim 1, further including wash rack supporting tracks mounted over the tank inwardly adjacent the risers, and the risers being located between the tracks and the hoods. 

1. In combination, a support frame having an opening, a dishwasher having an upwardly open tank of size and shape corresponding to the frame opening, means to connect the tank to the support frame with the tank exposed through the opening, opposed risers secured integrally with the tank and extending upwardly above the support frame through the opening, inner and outer hoods, means pivotally connecting the hoods to the risers for rotation about an axis located above the support frame, and the risers being hollow and means including the risers for discharging wash and rinse liquids under the hoods and into the tank.
 1. In combination, a support frame having an opening, a dishwasher having an upwardly open tank of size and shape corresponding to the frame opening, means to connect the tank to the support frame with the tank exposed through the opening, opposed risers secured integrally with the tank and extending upwardly above the support frame through the opening, inner and outer hoods, means pivotally connecting the hoods to the risers for rotation about an axis located above the support frame, and the risers being hollow and means including the risers for discharging wash and rinse liquids under the hoods and into the tank.
 2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the hood connecting means includes bearings pivoted to the hoods and means securing the hoods relative to the bearings, and means for removably securing the bearings to the risers.
 3. A combination according to claim 1, including connection means formed on the tank annularly of each riser, wash and rinse liquid sources, and means including a flanged connection communicating the separate liquid source with the respective riser at the connection means.
 4. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the wash liquid source includes a sump formed in the tank, a pump having its inlet communicated with the sump, and the pump having its outlet provided with the flanged connection communicating with the wash riser.
 5. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the hood connecting means includes bearings pivoted to the hood and means securing the hoods relative to the bearings, and means for removably securing the bearings to the risers. 